HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-08-10 PWD Memo to City AdminCity of
Oak Park Heights
14168 Oak Park Blvd N.• Box 2007 • Oak Park Heights, MN 55082 • (651) 439-4439 • Fax 439-0574
Interoffice Memo
To: City Administrator, Eric Johnson
From Jay Johnson, PE
cc: Public Works Director, Tom Ozzello
Date: 08/10/04
Re: Bahr Property Environmental Review By All Phase Companies
1 have reviewed the preliminary report prepared by Allphase Companies. The report contained cover
pages for Appendices A and B but no data. The main portion of the report did not discuss the nature
of the soils in the three pits. As 1 recall the area it is mainly various soils containing clays, silts and
sand. Eric Johnson and Tom Ozzello were on site during the excavations and Eric recalls that most
of the soils contained clay.
Based on my conversations with Eric, my previous visits to the site, and my review of the AllPhase
report I agree that the site probably does not have significant contamination.
The types of probable of contaminates and materials previously observed on the site were mostly
oils, petroleum products, and other fluids related to maintaining the trucks that were stored on the
site by the previous owner or used by the neighbors when the site was used a neighborhood garage
for working on cars. When spilled or spread on soils with a significant clay content these types of
products typically bind with the clay and produce a discoloration, odor, and off gas of organic vapors
which should be detectable using a photo-ionization detector (P1D). The clay would also inhibit
downward transport of the materials resulting in shallow surface contamination. Gasoline usually
does not produce a stain but leaves a distinctive odor and contains many volatile organics which
should be easily detected by the PID. Diesel fuels are
The site is not believed to have been connected to City sewer or water. To the best of my knowledge
a well or septic system have not been found on the site. No above ground plumbing fixtures were
observed in the buildings. If during demolition a well or on-site sewage treatment system is
discovered they may require additional investigation.
Racing fuel additives such as methanol and nitromethane would not be detected by the
photoionization detector used by All Phase. Methanol requires and detector with 10.85 eV lamp
source and nitromethane requires 11.02 eV lamp source. If there is evidence that these types of
racing fuels were used at the site then the soils should also be analyzed for these constituents.
If you have any questions please contact me.
TREE CITY U.S.A.